Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) review: The return of Apple's smart speaker brings impressive features and premium sound

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• Apple's second-generation HomePod offers powerful sound and handy new smart features.
• You can also pair two HomePods with an Apple TV 4K to create an immersive stereo system.
• It's also $50 cheaper than the first model, but it still requires an iPhone or iPad to set up.

It's been almost two years since Apple's first smart speaker, the original HomePod, was rather unceremoniously put out to pasture. At the time, many believed it was a strategic move, leaving the much cheaper and compact HomePod Mini to increase Apple's share of the smart home market.

So it was surprising when Apple suddenly announced the return of the HomePod in January, complete with new features, a more affordable price, and a very familiar design. That said, a lot has changed in the smart home landscape since the first HomePod debuted in 2016, and both Siri and Apple's HomeKit software have improved in an effort to keep up.

Just as importantly, the new HomePod's proposed use cases have evolved. Not only is it positioned as a top smart speaker, but when combined with a second HomePod and the new Apple TV 4K, it can also serve as a smart home theater system.

That still leaves a somewhat limited target audience, but it does make for an easier sell. Whether it's enough to make the $300 speaker's second coming a hit remains to be seen, but one thing's for sure — when it comes to sound, this thing's a banger.

The new HomePod looks a lot like the old one, but there are a few changes under the hood

As anyone familiar with the original HomePod will note, the new one looks very similar. It's a tad shorter, and comes in a "different" color option (Midnight replaces Space Gray), but it's the same pillar design wrapped in acoustic mesh. One noteworthy update is an easily removable power cable, making it more convenient for awkward spaces.

The fancy top panel also looks similar, but the rainbow lights that spark when the HomePod is called to action is more prevalent. There are also now set volume controls, and you can activate other playback functions with a succession of taps.

Like the latest AirPods Pro, the new HomePod's biggest changes lie beneath the surface. Interestingly, the speaker has actually shed some internal hardware (it is cheaper, after all). The device's flipped speaker configuration remains, with a high-excursion bass woofer on top and an array of tweeters below, but there are now just five tweeters instead of seven.

Similarly, there are now four internal microphones rather than six, not that you'd notice any difference. In fact, the latest HomePod can hear a voice clearly with lightning fast response from down the hall, even while blasting music.

Apple's S7 chip is the new brain behind the speaker's real-time audio tuning. It uses sensors to account for barriers like walls, and adjusts the bass response with digital signal processing. The motors now move the bass driver up to 20mm, which we're told is further than the previous speaker for more potency.

New temperature sensors may be among the most useful additions from a smart home standpoint. While we weren't able to test this feature with a compatible thermostat, the idea is to trigger a smart thermostat or humidifier when the inside climate requires it. It's also just kind of fun and useful to be able to check your room's climate on the fly.

Blissfully simple setup, but you'll need an iPhone or iPad

Apple has made its name on simplicity, and setting up the HomePod is stunningly easy as long as you have an iPhone or iPad handy. Updating your device's software is the longest part of the process — you'll need an iPhone 8 or iPad 5th generation or later running iOS/iPadOS 16.3 with iCloud Keychain enabled. Once updated, you simply hold the device next to the speaker, follow some quick prompts, and you're done.

It's one of those magic tricks that put brands like Apple and Sonos in rare company, but it does mean that Android device users are out of luck. It's just as easy connecting a second HomePod, and you'll be immediately prompted to set the two up as a stereo pair. If you've got an Apple TV 4K, you can then set the HomePods as the player's default audio output.

Apple has a leg up on most brands here because everything is locked into its ecosystem and under direct control. Of course, that means you need to be essentially locked in too. But if you've ever struggled to connect a Wi-Fi device, the HomePod's setup is a salve for your tech-worn soul.

New smart home features help HomePod compete with Alexa and Google speakers

While Apple's smart system still struggles to match Google's search or Amazon's wide array of third-party skills and devices, both Siri and HomeKit have improved in recent years, and the latest HomePod takes full advantage.

New skills include the ability to set multiple timers, personalization for up to six users with voice recognition to access Apple-centric calendars, notes, and mapping, and the option to use Find My for shared Contacts. While feverishly tapping out a review in front of blaring HomePods, the ability to ask "Hey Siri, where's (add spouse here)" and get a quick answer is pretty futuristic.

As with all smart assistants, responses have their hiccups. Our first test of the Find My feature seemed to misread an unmerged email contact, which meant Siri gave the dreaded "Just a minute" response before timing out. There's also been some confusion with the weather a couple of times, where Siri defaults to outdoor temperature, and then can't properly find our location. Still, these moments are rare.

You can also send and receive text messages, thanks to HomeKit's compatibility with iPhone, and it works pretty well. When asking Siri for the latest messages, she finds and reads them quickly, and asks for responses. And if you've got multiple HomePods, you can use the speakers throughout the home like an intercom.

HomeKit is also now Matter-compliant, which lets you use HomePod or HomePod Mini as your smart home hub for an increasingly useful collection of third-party devices (Apple helpfully lists them on its site). The new HomePod also offers Thread support to Homekit, allowing you to more easily set up multiple devices on your network, and even extend Wi-Fi with your speakers.

If you have a lot of HomeKit devices, you can set automations, like scheduling your smart lights to turn off at a certain time each night, or close your smart blinds for movie night. The only detraction here, if you could call it that, is that the vast majority of these features were already available on the HomePod Mini. The Mini even recently gained the ability to do temperature and humidity detecting.

One of the HomePod's most intriguing new skills is, unfortunately, not yet activated. Coming this spring, the speaker will be able to listen for alarms from smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and then send your phone or iPad a notification. We'll have to wait to see how it works, but it could be a helpful innovation to keep your home safe while you're away.

Impressive sound quality that rivals competitors, especially if you pair 2 in stereo mode

The main reason to go with the heftier HomePod over the tempting Mini is its massive sound performance, which to our ears offers bigger bass and a clearer, if more spritely, upper register than the original HomePod. Right from the opening audio logo, the bass immediately packs an impressive punch. It easily beats competitors like Amazon's Echo Studio and the Sonos One there, albeit at a higher price.

Some tracks, like Ween's "Bananas and Blow," are almost too aggressive at first, though there's a bass relief switch in the Home app as the lone form of EQ if needed. Moving to other tracks, the speaker shows solid balance with refreshing details, especially in the midrange. Cymbals and snare are smooth and clear, and electric guitar glistens with rich textures.

You may even hear a few details you've never noticed before. Sharply recorded vocals tend to take on an icier flavor than you'll get from Sonos, but there's power and presence throughout the soundstage here that goes well beyond that smaller competitor.

When it comes to Dolby Atmos music, the HomePod reveals less overhead immersion than Amazon's Echo Studio — not surprising since the Echo uses a dedicated upfiring speaker. But with the right mix, it still offers an impressive soundfield for a single speaker, and easily bests the Studio when it comes to clarity and detail up top. It's also easier to place nearly anywhere in the room, thanks to its computational tuning.

After a day of listening to one speaker, we paired up two HomePods together in stereo mode. Honestly, it's hard to go back from this configuration, as the two speakers together feel like more than the sum of their parts. Bass remains robust and delivers even better balance. Instruments, like the brassy harmonica in Tom Petty's "You Don't Know How It Feels," flutter forth more readily, while the psychedelic slide guitars in Elton John's Atmos Remix of "Rocket Man" beam between the two cylinders in a rippling cauldron of sound.

When two HomePods are paired with an Apple TV 4K for movie playback, the speakers continue to impress. "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" is a great showcase, with strafing jets that seem to extend overhead, powerful explosions, and steely spear clatters that reach out around the sides of the TV console. "Ant-Man" sounds similarly impressive, offering ruddy thump, bombastic explosions, and other detailed effects.

At times you can hear the signal processing at work, compressing the sound to keep the bigger moments in check, but it rarely takes you out of the experience. This is premium detail that matches up very well with similarly priced soundbars. The dialogue in an episode of "Poker Face" is particularly lovely, as the speakers unearth subtle nuances with a firm touch.

Great performance, but it's very dependent on Apple services and hardware

The impressive work a HomePod pair does with films and TV will make you wish you could use them across all content, especially if you're lacking a good audio setup. Luckily, if you're using the Apple TV 4K (2nd gen) in combination with a newer TV that supports eARC, this is possible. The Apple TV acts as a sort of conduit, and setting it up with an LG OLED via the eARC port is easy as could be.

That said, it is something of a bummer that there are no physical inputs, meaning you can't just use the speakers with your display if you don't have an Apple TV 4K. Amazon's Echo Studio adds an optical input, while high-performance powered speakers like SVS' Prime Wireless Pro provide multiple physical inputs alongside AirPlay and Chromecast connection.

Apple's latest HomePod also locks out Spotify users for most features. While you can control playback with Siri when AirPlaying Spotify, it's notably slower than with Apple Music, and Siri can't start a playlist or song. Even handing off playback from a phone works flawlessly with Apple Music, but with Spotify it only sends to one of the speakers in our stereo pair. This may just be a glitch, but it's also a pattern.

Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) specs at a glance

Spec	Apple HomePod (2nd Gen)
Dimensions	6.6 inches (H) x 5.6 inches (W)
Weight	5.16 pounds
Colors	White or Midnight (black)
Processor	S7 chip
Drivers	Four-inch full-excursion driver, five horn-loaded tweeters in circular array
Audio tech	Bass correction, Spatial Audio/Dolby Atmos support, Stereo Pairing (only with new HomePod)
In the box	HomePod with removable power cable
Special features	Home theater support (with new Apple TV 4K), real-time EQ adjustment, U1 chip for audio pass-off from an iPhone

Should you buy the HomePod (2nd Gen)?

As with the previous version, the new second-generation HomePod is aimed at buyers with very specific needs, and it's best suited for smart speaker shoppers who fall into these categories:

• You're an avid Apple user for most devices and services, and a Siri fan.
• You care a lot about sound, with a penchant for 3D audio formats.
• You're looking to build out a HomeKit-based smart home and/or an intuitive home theater system with a new Apple TV 4K.

If you find some of those scenarios don't readily apply, and you just want a solid smart speaker, you'd likely do just as well with a smaller HomePod Mini, or one of the many cheaper alternatives from Google, Amazon, and Sonos, like an Echo Studio or Sonos One.

If you do check most of those boxes — and especially if you're interested in buying two speakers to create a Siri-powered stereo system — the new HomePod is a good buy for any Apple-centric smart home or entertainment center.